Malaysia is well known for its friendly locals, vibrant culture, endless beaches and fantastic diving. Making it a must-visit country on any South East Asian travel itinerary, especially for divers. This is because Malaysia is home to an array of world-class dive sites across both Peninsular and East Malaysia, which are suitable for all experience levels.
Whether you are learning to dive or a seasoned dive traveller, once Malaysia casts its spell on you, you’ll be kept captivated, dive after dive. Make your way to one of these top five diving spots in Malaysia to begin your exploration of the underwater world.
Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu
Perhentian Island is a perfect destination for those who enjoy relaxing dives with little current yet abundant marine life and diving activities. Perhentian Island is divided into two islands – Pulau Perhentian Kecil, perfect for a solo trip, and Pulau Perhentian Besar, great for honeymoons and romantic getaways.
However, no matter what kind of trip you plan for, you are definitely in for a memorable diving experience here since this island is well known for its beautiful reef, which showcases kaleidoscopic corals and is home to sea turtles and a massive diversity array of reef fish, makes Perhentian favourite spots of many Malaysian divers. Aside from that, Perhentian Island also is perfect for diving beginners since the water is in pleasant condition and has excellent underwater visibility.
Pulau Sipadan, Sabah
Sipadan Island, commonly known as Pulau Sipadan, is a small island in Sabah that was designated as a protected area in 2002 and is regarded by many divers as one of the world’s top diving destinations. This island is well known to have beautiful phenomenal coral reefs and walls, an abundance of turtles, pelagics, sharks, rays, schooling fish and impressive biomass.
This marine protected area is one of the best-preserved diving locations, and it’s a must-go diving destination for all divers. Although it’s no longer possible to spend your night here, most people would stay at Mabul or Semporna, then catch a boat to Sipadan on a day trip.
Pulau Lankayan, Sabah
After Sipadan, the island Pulau Lankayan is likely the best diving destination in Malaysia, according to many diving enthusiasts. With over 30 dive sites located within the area, Lankayan island provides the perfect opportunity for divers to enjoy and witness beautiful reefs teeming with a huge school of fish, barracudas, and trevallies.
Aside from that, the divers also can enjoy muck and wreck diving experiences. With just one luxury resort on the island, Lankayan is the perfect getaway spot for a relaxing diving vacation spent exploring the underwater world and enjoying the lovely resort stay.
Pulau Tioman, Pahang
Tioman Island is a densely forested island with crystal clear waters and spectacular coral reefs – making it a popular destination. This island is ideal for novice and experienced divers since it has more than 25 dive sites, including the vibrant, coral-encrusted Tiger Reef and its abundance of marine life, making it ideal for divers of all skill levels and experiences.
If you are heading here, be sure to traverse the magnificent underwater caves and canyons in order to discover a wonderful world filled with colourful fishes, reef sharks, manta rays and moray eels.
Pulau layang layang, Sabah
Layang Layang island is well known as one of Malaysia’s most popular scuba diving destinations, with more than ten dive sites for the divers to enjoy. The distance of the dive spots is within 5-15 minutes of the speed boat ride journey, making it a fantastic destination for scuba diving.
Untouched by human intervention, the corals and marine life on this secluded island are in immaculate condition, making it one of the top diving destinations in Malaysia. With huge schools of pelagic fish, manta rays & even whale sharks, diving around Layang Layang is just fantastic.
